Two nice red Bordeaux

[Nicklasss]

Nice dinner yesterday with friends, and 3 nice wines.
The Terlan Pinot Grigio is true to the style of the house, a little pineapple, smoke, honey and minerals. A real "spring water", as the wine is delicate for Pinot Gris, delicious. Tn: 89.

Brane-Cantenac produced a superb 2015. Its second wine is also very successful. Very Margaux, impossible to confuse with the other aoc. Red fruits, red berries, blackcurrant, flowers. Suave palate, well concentrated, elegance. Beautiful fruit and good length, supported by sweet spices. Drinks itself. Tn : 91.

Pontet Canet 2002, not the most complex, but at 20 years old, is drinking very well. A little gruff, well concentrated, a mixture of black fruits, blackcurrant, graphite and a chalky side, or oyster shell. Lots of tannins and length, on dark fruit. A good 2002, but the 1996, 2000, 2005 are better. Tn: 91.

[AKR]

Pontet Canet was doing everything right during that era.

[jckba]

Nice notes and not to mention, a pair of wines that likely retailed for approximately the same $30 if bought on release, just 13 years apart.

[marcs]

Yeah, but remember that 2002 second growths were going for $30 and first growths for $90

Probably the greatest bargain vintage of modern times, thanks to anti-French "freedom fries" hysteria!

[Michael Malinoski]

Really helpful note on that 02 Pontet Canet, thank you. I am opening my lone bottle Sat night with grilled ribeye. Would you suggest any sort of decanting regimen to soften the “gruff” character?

Michael

[DavidG]

Yeah, but remember that 2002 second growths were going for $30 and first growths for $90

Probably the greatest bargain vintage of modern times, thanks to anti-French "freedom fries" hysteria!

Partly that, but a fair number of other factors also significantly contributed to depressed interest and prices. Not least that Parker skipped his en primeur trip to France in 2003 to review the vintage. Here’s a Jancis Robinson blast from the past on the topic: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles ... in-vintage

I wasn’t turned off by the lack of French engagement in the Iraq war (how perspectives have changed on that). Hubert de Montille’s comments at the time pissed me off but that was a single Burgundy producer. Mostly I wasn’t that excited by a vintage that no one was touting as “great” at the time. The market appears to continue to support that assessment, with auction prices still lagging well behind the top vintages, though not down in the gutter with the dogs.

That made for some very good deals on good to very good if not great (IMHO) Bordeaux that was reasonably priced, especially so if the vintage style appeals to your palate. And a total steal at the prices MacArthur was charging back in the day of the Great BWE Wine Heist.

[Nicklasss]

Good to see you back Michael. Seem like sometime since your last post here.

We pop n pour the 2002 Pontet Canet and it was fine. At the end, it did not bend, so i guess a 60-90 minutes in a decanter should make it just slightly more civilized.

I'll be interested to know if you're tasting the mineral "chalky, oyster shell" character, as i did not tasted that often in a red wine.

Enjoy!

[Michael Malinoski]

That sounds like solid advice, thanks!

[ericp]

Nice notes Nick. I’ve got a 02 PC mag hiding somewhere, any improvement expected in waiting a blanqito?

Same question for you mike, but Sunday morning

[Michael Malinoski]

Sorry, last minute audible and the 02 Pontet Canet is now on the back burner (in favor of 89 Lalande and 01 Baron), but will likely get to it sooner than later!
Michael